Manchester police said Officer Derek Feather was driving his personal vehicle on Maple Street just before 9 a.m. Tuesday when a man stepped off the sidewalk into the road. Police said another car had to stop quickly to avoid colliding with the man, who then walked into the next lane, forcing Feather to also stop abruptly.

Police said the man stopped in the street in front of Feather's vehicle and made a gesture before moving again. Police said that when Feather drove by the man, he saw that the man had pulled a gun out of his pocket and was pointing it at Feather through the passenger window.

"(The officer) noticed that (Velez) had since pulled a gun out of his pocket and was pointing the gun directly at the officer," said Lt. Maureen Tessier.

Feather continued driving, and the man walked away, police said. Feather called dispatchers on his radio, and other officers were able to get to the area quickly and stop the man on Jane Street.

Police said the man was identified Andrew Velez, 24. Officers said they found a .25-caliber handgun in his pocket.

Investigators said they learned Velez had been involved in a dispute with his girlfriend right before the incident in which he pushed her to the ground.

"During which he had potentially used the gun to threaten himself, as well," Tessier said.

Police said they also learned that Velez had found the gun on the ground behind a Walnut Street address and didn't have a permit for it.

Velez was charged with criminal threatening, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm without a permit, theft of lost or mislaid property and domestic simple assault. He is due in court Thursday morning.

HE IS NOW FACING SEVERAL CHARGES, RIGHT? THAT IS RIGHT. HE FACES A TOTAL OF FIVE CHARGES, INCLUDING FELONY CRIMINAL THREATENING. POLICE ARE COMMENDING THAT OFF- DUTY OFFICER FOR HIS ACTIONS, SAYING HE ACTED APPROPRIATELY AND, AS A RESULT, NO ONE WAS INJURED. THIS IS THE MAN THAT POLICE SAY LOADED APPOINTED .25 CALIBER HANDGUN AT AN OFF-DUTY OFFICER. HE WAS HEADING NORTH ON MAPLE STREET IN HIS VEHICLE AROUND 9:00 TUESDAY MORNING. THAT IS WHEN ANDREW ALLEGEDLY STEPPED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, FORCING OFFICER AND ANOTHER CAR TO COME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. HE THEN MOVED OUT OF THE WAY. AS THE OFFICER DROVE BY -- HE NOTICED HE HAD PULLED A GUN OUT OF HIS POCKET AND WAS POINTING IT DIRECTLY AT THE OFFICER. THE OFFICER GOT OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE, RADIOED IN, AND THE SUSPECT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, POLICE LEARNED THAT HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A DOMESTIC SITUATION WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND. RING WHICH SHE HAD -- DURING WHICH HE HAD ALLEGEDLY THREATENED HIMSELF AS WELL. YOU HE PUSHED HIS GIRLFRIEND TO THE GROUND AS -- HE PUSHED HIS GIRLFRIEND TO THE GROUND AS SHE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO WRESTLE THE GUN AWAY FROM HIM. AT THIS POINT, POLICE ARE NOT SURE WHERE HE GOT THE GUN, IF IT MAY HAVE BEEN STOLEN OR SIMPLY HE FOUND IT. VELEZ WAS TAKEN INTO PREVENTATIVE DETENTION. OFFICERS SAY HE REPRESENTS A DANGER NOT ONLY TO OTHERS BUT